Dance Machine!
by Damson of the Rhee
Summary: *UPDATED 7-9* Draco/Hermione/...DDR? The best chapter yet! ^-~ Please, read and enjoy. Critiquing and compliments welcome, please no flaming, it just causes headaches. ^-^
1. Arcade Time!

A/N: Hehe. Well, I'm an avid DDR player! For those who don't know, DDR is a Japanese dancing game brought to us by the wonderful Konami. Now, I don't own the game or the characters. I wish I did though! But, I don't. I also don't own any of the HP group. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
  
  
Dance Machine!  
  
It was strange, how this came to happen. All because of a silly Muggle dance machine...  
  
Draco Malfoy dipped his freestyle partner down so that she could hit the player 1 left pad with perfect aim that came from months of training for this tournament.  
  
Dance Dance Revolution had caught his eye when he first started to visit Muggle London every summer to get away from his family. Draco'd caught on quickly and soon he was dancing catas like there was no tomorrow.  
  
That's when he saw something that would change his life. Freestyle. Two people had walked up to the machine after his game and entered in their tokens. They did twists and turns and different tricks. It was true dancing.  
  
This is what DDR is for. to freestyle like that, he thought to himself as they finished up their three songs and got off the machine as if nothing happened.  
  
Draco searched for a partner. no avail. His father would disown him if he had a Muggle partner for this silly game. *** Weeks later, Hermione Granger walked in to stun everyone at the arcade.  
  
She was alone, which was strange. Usually, Potty and Weasel were with her. She smiled at the people she knew at the arcade and told them that Harry and Ron were off running some errands and won't be joining her today.  
  
As someone went up alone, she asked the person if she could dance with them. Gladly, they complied.  
  
Hermione was a great dancer. She freestyled all the songs but the last-Max 300. The devil song, as she oh-so-kindly put it.  
  
She was off in her own world, laughing and dancing like she'd been doing for the past two summers. The natural high that came with it was wonderful and fulfilling.  
  
She stepped off the machine, But not after being hoisted up by her friend, Kai over his head and spun around.  
  
"Kai, let me go! Oh.you. you poopie head!" Hermione laughed as she pounded on his back.  
  
"Never!" Kai replied, spinning faster.  
  
"O.h!" Granger propped her head up on his head.  
  
That's when she saw him as well.  
  
Malfoy, she snarled in her head.  
  
"Kai, let me down. Now." She ordered.  
  
"Herm?" Kai set her down softly and looked in the direction she glared. "Who's that?"  
  
"Just someone I know, that's all." Quickly, she glanced at the quarter line. "Oi! You're game, Kai!" Smiling at her friend as he bounded up to the machine, she walked up to Draco.  
  
"What are you doing here?" her eyes narrowed on him.  
  
***  
  
"What on earth do you mean, Granger?" Draco's eyes twinkled mischievously as he crossed his arms.  
  
"You know very well what I mean, ferret boy!" Granger tried to keep her voice low. "Did your daddy let you out into the 'wilderness'? or did you come here by yourself?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously, causing little crinkles at the edges of her amber eyes.  
  
"I came here on my own, thank you for worrying."  
  
"Why are you here?" she motioned to the arcade.  
  
"To dance." Draco smiled as sweetly as he could.  
  
Granger couldn't say a word. Her mouth opened and closed. It kind of reminded him of a bass.  
  
"Excuse me?" She finally blurted out, voice not much above a whisper.  
  
"To. Dance." Draco repeated, getting annoyed.  
  
"But. you're Malfoy! Malfoys don't play DDR!" Granger was getting flustered now.  
  
"Well, I do." 


	2. Dance Dance!

A/N: Hi again!! Again, no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the characters except maybe Kai. ^-^. Well. have fun! Oh! Yaaay! I've gots me 2 reviews! Thank you to Tropical Flavored Yama and Dizzydiva! Yes, I am insane.PLEASE REVIEW!  
  
Dance Machine!  
  
Hermione remembered when she couldn't believe that Draco had come to the small arcade to dance. Smiling softly, she let the memories flood back to her as they danced on.  
  
***  
  
"You.dance?" Hermione was still in shock even after two weeks of dancing along side of Draco every weekend.  
  
Harry and Ron were visiting Bill this summer so it gave her more time to dance.  
  
"Yes, Granger. I'm here to dance." Draco huffed with frustration as he still failed to pass Max300 heavy.  
  
"It's Hermione." She replied without thinking.  
  
"Hermione." Draco tested it out.  
  
"Yeah. That's my name. Hermione." She looked up at the beautiful blonde next to her on the dance pads.  
  
Their time went out as they stood there and stared at each other. "I won't cry for yesterday, in this ordinary world-"Ordinary world rang out through the arcade and they were called to attention.  
  
Hermione picked up her water and stepped off the machine, brushing Draco's shoulder slightly.  
  
Malfoy grabbed her wrist gently, causing her to jerk her head up and look at him.  
  
"Yes, Draco?"  
  
"Can you." Draco looked down at his hand holding her wrist and let go. "Nothing."  
  
Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Hermione turned and walked back to where her things lay in a heap.  
  
Next to Draco's things.  
  
Looking closer, she noticed a small pool of red on one of his pristine white shirts he usually wore.  
  
Curiosity won her over as she reached into the bag to pick it out.  
  
"Looking for something?" Malfoy's voice startled her and she fell back, landing on his feet.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Were you looking for something in my bag?" it was his turn to arch an eyebrow.  
  
"I just----I thought that this was my bag, that's all," Hermione stumbled to get out a quick lie.  
  
Why was it so hard to lie to those silver eyes?  
  
"Sure you were," Draco snatched up his bag and zipped it, walking outside on his way home. He couldn't be late again, or his father would be even angrier with him.  
  
***  
  
Hermione sat, dazed for a few moments, still on her rear end, still looking after Draco.  
  
"Herm." Said a voice behind her.  
  
Hermione spun around while attempting to stand up. Which ended up with the forces of Gravity and the forces of Coordination to be against her.  
  
"Oof!" she rubbed her bottom as she looked up at the person who said her name.  
  
"Yes? May I help you?"  
  
"I was looking for Draco Malfoy." The person said, coming more into the light.  
  
"Pansy!" Hermione could just feel her eyes bulging out of her face.  
  
"Well, well, well. Isn't the damnable mudblood."  
  
Hermione snarled at her. "Malfoy just left." She pointed to the door.  
  
Giving a false smile, the pug-faced girl walked out of the arcade.  
  
***  
  
Draco decided to stop by the ice cream parlor on the way home to the Malfoy manner.  
  
He ordered a buttered rum double scoop and waited for the inept designated ice cream scooper to doll out his ice cream to him.  
  
Once he got and paid for his ice cream, he turned around to leave.  
  
That's when he saw her. He cringed at even thinking her name. Even in his mind, he referred to Pansy Parkins as /her/.  
  
"Draco, dearie!" Pansy squealed as she automatically attached herself to his arm.  
  
'What would Hermione think of this,' he thought to himself. Wait? Why did he care? He sighed in conclusion, 'It must be all that dancing.'  
  
"What are you doing here, leech?" Draco drawled, anger and disgust chilling his words.  
  
"To see you, silly! I've missed you, Draco!" she whined in that awful voice of hers. "You never owl me!"  
  
"Don't be ignorant. I never owl you," Draco stated simply.  
  
"But," Pansy continued, "it would be nice if you did once and a while!"  
  
"I will never, nor have I ever thought of, owling you," he snarled fiercely. "Now detach yourself from me and leave me alone!"  
  
Pouting as Draco shook her off (and he didn't spill any of his ice cream!), Pansy slumped in the closest booth to her right.  
  
Draco practically ran outside and to the Leaky Cauldron, eating his buttered rum ice cream and shoving the last of it in his mouth as he tapped the right stones to enter Diagon Alley.  
  
***  
  
A/N: I know these aren't long, but I'm just thinking on my toes and stop whenever I think I should stop for that chapter. I'm going to try and get in at least one chapter a week, if not more. Swim practice is taking up so much room-along with those darned swim meets! Le sigh. Well, enjoy! Remember to review!  
  
Arigato gozaimasu,  
  
Damson 


	3. Eeek!

A/N: If you don't know by now, I don't own any of JR's characters. *sigh* oh well! Enjoy! *pets jo0 all*  
  
~ ~  
  
Sighing, Draco sat down next to the fan the arcade had acquired over the month he'd been coming, whis white shirt drenched in sweat.  
  
Laying back, he planned to relax some before his next game of DDR. He'd just started to drift off to sleep when Granger's voice rang out through the area.  
  
"Ronald Weasly! I am sick and tired of listening to your goddamned ranigns of childish jalousy!"  
  
"But. but, 'Mione," Ron sputtered nervously, obviously frigtened she would pull out her wand and hex him then and there.  
  
"Don't even /speak/!" Hermione screached.  
  
"Uhng." Draco forced himself into a quasi0sitting position. Half turned to face the two, half still laying down.  
  
The first thing he noticed was the Weasle's face rapidly turning more like the colour of his hair.  
  
Snickering, he pulled himself p, body resisting, and glided over to the couple.  
  
".and another thing, you blode arsehole!-" Hermione stopped as she felt a cold hand slip around her exposed midriff. Accidentally, she let out a small gasp.  
  
"Top of the morning, isn't it Weasle?" Draco drawled.  
  
Ron's voice was growing dangerously hihg. "Is this who've you been seeing behind my back?"  
  
"What? N-no! Malfoy and I just dance together!" Hermione sputtered, trying to remain calm.  
  
"Oh, that makes it so much better!" Ron's fists were at his side, trying to resist the urges to lash out and knock Draco senseless.  
  
Hermione pushed Draco away in feeble attempt to calm down the now putplish Ron.  
  
"Ron," she cooed gently, "I love you, but you're just so overprotective." Hermione's voice was sugary sweet and made Draco think she could convice Weasly that dogs were just really small cows. ".come on, let's go talk about this in private," she'd finished.  
  
Lightening visibly, Hermione led Ron to a secluded area (or the back room, rather) where the employees and regulars of the arcade could hang out.  
  
Shooting a final warning glare at Draco (who's only reply was that obnoxious smirk), Hermione closed the door so she and Ron could have a decent conversation.  
  
Not quite so calm.  
  
Not at all.  
  
Draco tried to force himsel fnot to laugh outright, but it was just too funny!  
  
((***))  
  
"Ronald." Hermione's voice was dangerously low, eyes narrowed.  
  
"Hermione." Ron's coice wasn't quite as low, but it held just as much malice ((A/N: Mmmm. Malice Mizer. ^-^))  
  
"Why do you not trust me?" Hermione's voice held leagues of unleashed anger. "I've been nothing but loyal to you in every way!"  
  
"How am I supposed to know?" Hissed Ron. They'd both gotten tired of yelling a while ago. "You're here with /Malfoy/! Why didn't you tell me? I wouldv'e come keep you safe!"  
  
"Because he's been relatively nice! Compared to the fucking blubbering idiot I have before me!" Her voice was raising steadily.  
  
"If you're going to be that way-"  
  
Hermione cut Ron off, "And I will."  
  
Regaining tight control on his emotions, Ron continued, "Maybe we should split up for a while and give eavhother some room to breathe." Finally , got that off his chest.  
  
Arching a quizical eyebrow, Hermione nodded comprehending it all.  
  
'So /that's/ why he came down,' she thought to herself, her inner monologue full of spite.  
  
"The door is to your left," Hermione said tightly, waiting for her now-ex- boyfriend of two years walk out before storming out herself.  
  
"Homosexual twit," she muttered as she watched Ron's retreating form, his hips swaying ever-so slightly. 


	4. Free

A/N and Disclaimer: If you all don't know what goes here by now for disclaimer, you really must get checked for any amount of sanity left! ^-^ Well, anyways, I'm sooooo sorry I've been slacking off! But, I've had a DDR tournament to get ready for. (joy, ne?) But, the Oshare Zukin-esque costume I went in ROCKED! Anyways, I promise I'll get more up. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed me and told me how insane I am. ^-^ *hugs you all* ARIGATO GOZAIMASU! o~.~o  
  
~ ~  
  
Draco watched Hermione intently as she sat down in a huff of fury.  
  
"What's wrong, Granger? Weasel break your heart?" Draco drawled as their Max 2 machine started up with a round of DXY!.  
  
The look Hermione gave him made him happy that her eyes didn't actually shoot the daggers it looked like they did.  
  
"Sod off, Malfoy, you insuffering twit!"  
  
"Oh, you're words hurt me," he said sarcastically, his right hand dramatically over his heart in feigning death.  
  
Hermione gritted her teeth, looking like she was conflicted with something.  
  
"Granger, he's gay. Get over him," Draco said matter-of-factly.  
  
"I know. Leave me /alone!/" she got up and stormed past him.  
  
'I can't let this chance pass me up again.' Draco thought to himself as he reached out and grabbed her arm. As he did so, he remembered seeing her and another girl do wild dancing moves while smiling and laughing to different songs on the machine. It was called freestyling. He wanted to do that, too.  
  
"What!" she was yelling at him as she attempted to get free of his grasp.  
  
"Teach me to freestyle," Draco looked into her eyes as she stopped struggling and just gawked at him.  
  
"E---Excuse me?" She said, voice dripping in disbelief.  
  
"Teach me how to freestyle. It won't be to hard!" Draco said rushedly. "I learn fast. I. I just want to dance like that."  
  
"First, let go of me," Hermione yanked her arm away from him. "Second, fine. I'll teach you."  
  
"Great, Granger! When do we begin?" Draco's eyes livened up for the first time ever that Hermione could remember.  
  
"Tonight, if it's not too much trouble. We'll go somewhere where you can learn how to dance," Hermione had taken on that tone she used with Harry and Ron when explaining something to them. "And my name is Hermione, Draco. Hermione."  
  
"Right. You've said that," Draco looked at her, as if she was to blame.  
  
"Then use it, Draco!" Hermione was now turning red.  
  
'She's kind of cute when angry.' Draco thought to himself, a smirk playing on his lips.  
  
"Whatever. Just meet me here tonight at 8," Hermione Granger turned around on her heel and walked outside. Little did she know that what she just did would lead her to find out something very interesting about Draco Lucius Malfoy. 


	5. ArArmani?

A/N and Disclaimer: You all know the routine. I own nothing. I'm poor. Don't sue me. I have no money. I own Kai. That's it. SORRY that it's so late! Don't kill me. Over Christmas break, I had more than I thought to do. Namely two a day swim practices. I'm so sorry. Don't be mad? *looks hopeful* Thank you to everyone who's reviewed. I can't remember you all off the top of my head, but you're all wonderful! ~-~  
  
After Draco had left, Hermione promply started banging her head hard on the wall. Over and over and over and over. you get the picture.  
  
'What have I done! Oh god, Harry and Ron are going to kill me if they ever found out! Wait! They'll never find out!' she thought frantically to herself. 'I hope.' Siging in resignation, she picted up her bag and went to go see a girl about a party.  
  
~+  
  
'Father is not going to be pleased,' Draco thought gleefully. 'That bastard.'  
  
+~  
  
Just as he said he would be, Draco was there on time. He was dressed what Hermione could only guess to be casual clothing to a Malfoy. Poor dears wouldn't know casual if it hit them on the buttucks and flew around in front of their face with a neon sign saying 'HEY! I'm Casual!'.  
  
Hermione just shook her head, walking up to him. "Draco, that's Armani you're wearing."  
  
"Very observant, Hermione. To what do I owe this moment of the obvious?" Draco replied sarcastically.  
  
"Armani isn't exactly considered casual clothing in the Muggle world," she eyed him over. "I thought that /you/ would be the smart one in your family."  
  
"You caught me, I'm a woolhead."  
  
Hermione almost gagged on the name. She'd read it in a book(s) once. She loved the Wheel of Time chronicles. "You read Robert Jordan?"  
  
Draco's eyes gleamed mischeviously as he started to remove his coat to reviel a simple black t-shirt. "Why, yes, I do. It /is/ about magic. I also read other things. I'm not daft."  
  
"I know you aren't stupid," Hermione retorted, blushing from slight anger.  
  
"Do you?" Draco arched a perfect silvery eyebrow. He'd now stripped (a/n: yes. It sounds naughty, doesn't it. But no! not now.) and into normal, everyday clothing.  
  
Hermione blinked slightly as she realized the transformation. "What? You came here dressed up and now. this." She motioned to him.  
  
"I told my father I was going on a date at a nice resturaunt with a rich, pureblooded witch," he replied causally, as if it was nothing lying to his father. a Death Eater.  
  
Sighing iritably, Hermione gave up on waiting for him and grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the closest dance club she could find.  
  
"Dance," Hermione said, smile inching across her face.  
  
"Excuse me?" Draco said, again arching an eyebrow at her, as if questioning her sanity.  
  
"Like this." Hermione let the music of the techno and trance blaring in the club to overcome her and allow her to forget everything. All that really mattered was to dance, have fun and the music.  
  
'Oh god.' Draco thought to himself. 'What have I gotten into?' 


	6. Aren't Cafe's so Cute?

Chapter 6 apologizing: OK, OK! I know I've been a bit negligent of my duties as an authuress. Gomen, minna-san! I promise to try and get more out! ^^; Really I will! See, I'm working on this part! See! Work work work work!  
  
Disclaimer: I own not Harry Potter nor do I own any Benimani. They belong to their respected owners, whom I worship for their work. I have no money, also, so don't even /try/ to sue me.  
  
CHAPTER SIX:  
  
"Ugh," Draco grunted as he thumped down onto the padded seats of the booth in the small café that Hermione decided she wanted to stop at.  
  
Apparently, she knew some people who worked there and wanted to visit them.  
  
'Probably to show off the good looking guy-friend she has,' Draco thought to himself, a sly grin on his face. That's when he mentally slapped himself. 'Guy-friend? Who ever said we were friends? She's just helping me learn to dance.'  
  
"Hermione, why have we been going to clubs all night, I don't see the connection between clubbing and freestyle," he looked at her and ordered her to answer him with his eyes.  
  
She merely shrugged and smiled knowingly at him. "If you want to learn to freestyle, you've first got to learn to dance," Hermione laughed at him silently, her body shaking with the effort not to bark a laugh at him in his face.  
  
"I can dance!" Draco said defensively.  
  
"No you can't! I've been dancing with you all night!" Hermione shot back. "You couldn't dance if your life depended on it. I am not going to allow my partner to look like a fool on the pads."  
  
Hermione's face went blank at the realization of what she said.  
  
"/Your partner/?" Draco arched a gleaming eyebrow. "Since when have I been /your partner/?"  
  
"Don't be silly!" Hermione said, trying to seem like she had not been in the wrong. "You just don't ask someone to teach you to freestyle."  
  
"How do you know that?" Draco's eyebrow didn't seem like it could go any higher than it already was at that moment.  
  
"You just don't, okay!" Hermione was sputtering now.  
  
Then, Draco did the unthinkable and laughed. When Hermione looked back on it later, she realized that had been the first time she heard him laugh. That harsh, bitter laugh that was meant to be fond. It, of course, made her frown even more. Then, realizing why he was laughing joined in with him.  
  
The waitress had been standing there for a while now; watching the two laugh like it had been the first time they'd laughed in their whole lives. She was ready to run, but, hey, a tip is a tip.  
  
"Ahem." She cleared her throat and adjusted the apron at her waist. "May I please take your orders?"  
  
"Huh?" Draco stopped laughing about as abruptly as it had come. "I'll have a latte, if you don't mind. A biscotti too?" The waitress quickly jotted down the order and turned to Hermione.  
  
".for you Miss?"  
  
"Oh, I'll have. hum." Hermione put her finger to her lips in thought. "I'll just have a French Vanilla, please. Oh, and one of your blueberry scones!"  
  
Writing down the order, the waitress chuckled and went off to get their drinks and snacks.  
  
"Anyway, Hermione, why are we here?" Draco said, now looking at the lady across from him. She wasn't 'Hermione, the Boy-Who-Annoyed-Draco-Constantly-Yes-You-Are- Speaking-In-Third-Person-Draco's best friend.' She was now 'Hermione the wonderful person who is teaching him how to dance.' Hermione, the true Hermione came out while she played DDR. The way she acted here and at school was like night and day. The show she put on for those at school was really quite amazing.  
  
".and it's cozy, too. Don't you think so?" Hermione had finished, pulling Draco out of his thoughts.  
  
"Yes. Very cozy, indeed. Thank you for taking me out tonight, by the way. Even if you /are/ Boy Wonder and his sidekick Wonder-Junior's best friend," he said with his trademarked smirk.  
  
"It's good to be out on the town while single, you know," Hermione stated rather wistfully. She sobered some, "Not like you would know, of course. You've always got Pansy on you."  
  
"Do not mention that.that. that thing, that poor excuse for life!" Draco visibly cringed at the thought of the other body that had seemed to grow attached to his arm.  
  
"Yea, I know what you mean," Hermione teased. "We in Gryfindor don't know what she is either."  
  
Draco started chuckling as the waitress from before brought them their coffees and food.  
  
After a while of silence, Hermione started humming 'I'm in the Mood for Dancing.' It soon broke into singing the short little ditty.  
  
Tapping his foot, Draco sang along softly with her.  
  
She looked up at him, warm hazelnut eyes glowing with warmth and happiness as she sung along with him. Once the song ended between them, she looked down at her scone and took off a piece.  
  
"Draco," she asked hesitantly. "Why do you play?"  
  
He knew this question was going to come along sooner or later. It wasn't every day that a pureblooded, wealthy wizard comes into a Muggle video arcade to play some silly Muggle dancing game.  
  
"To relax," Draco replied simply. It was the truth. He wasn't about to tell her the other reason was to watch everyone do different routines.  
  
"I see." Hermione nodded more to herself than anything as she took a sip of her still-hot coffee. "Where do you want to go next?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Draco said, a bit startled. "You're supposed to be the one showing /me/ around."  
  
"Yes, but I just want to know if there was any place you wanted to go before we headed back to the arcade to get your things."  
  
"We're going back?" he could feel his eyes dilate. "I don't feel like going home."  
  
"There's nothing more to do. I planned on going raving tonight, but I couldn't get tickets."  
  
"Aren't those /illegal/?" Draco was in shock. Ms. Goody-two-shoes did something illegal?  
  
"Only if you take 'E'," she told him as casually as if raves were an everyday occurrence.  
  
"I see."  
  
"We could always go to Kei's house. He won't mind much, I'm sure. He likes teaching people tricks," Hermione's eyes took on a mischievous twinkle as Draco agreed, eager to do anything that involved home. 


	7. The REAL Chapter7!

A/N: Okies! I'm back on track, and I'm ready to ROLL! I want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who understood my problems! ^-^ ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU! I love you all! Well, everything's. better now. I'm not going to say great because that would be a lie. But things are considerably better. ^-^ I've emailed/PMed/IMed/Messaged those who wanted to know when I updated, so I'm sure that you're all reading this now! ^-^ YAY! Happy! Well, on we go with the /important/ stuffs!  
  
Disclaimer: If you don't know what goes here by now, may I suggest a good head doctor?  
  
Just a Little Review:  
  
"Aren't those /illegal/?" Draco was in shock. Ms. Goody-two-shoes did something illegal?  
  
"Only if you take 'E'," she told him as casually as if raves were an everyday occurrence.  
  
"I see."  
  
"We could always go to Kei's house. He won't mind much, I'm sure. He likes teaching people tricks," Hermione's eyes took on a mischievous twinkle as Draco agreed, eager to do anything that didn't involve home.  
  
~`~`~`  
  
As they headed for Kei's home, it started to rain. They were forced to run the last hundred meters to the front door of his flat.  
  
Panting, Hermione reached up and pushed the doorbell button.  
  
No answer came.  
  
Once again, she pressed it. Then, to add emphasis, she pressed it over and over and over-she knew that that annoyed Kei.  
  
Around the third or fourth ring, Kei answered the door; hair drenched and towel around the waist, he glared down at Hermione and Draco, who were leaning against the side of the door frame still breathing heavily.  
  
"What do you want, 'Mione?" Kei asked, sounding a rather irked.  
  
"I was wondering," Draco gave Hermione a look as if to say 'I'll tell him,' "That maybe you could teach me some tricks for my freestyle I'm going to do with Hermione."  
  
"Excuse me!" Hermione shrieked. "When have I ever said anything about being your partner, Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"I thought it was implied," Draco replied casually, Hermione's death glare sliding off of him.  
  
Hermione growled quietly as Kei piped in, "I think it would be a great idea!"  
  
"Of /course/ you would think it's a great idea!" Hermione threw her hands up. "You think freestyling with /a dog/ would be a good idea! Not saying that dancing with Draco would be much different."  
  
"Well," Draco said in mock irritation. "If that's really how you feel."  
  
"Oh, do shut up and go inside, Draco," Hermione said, pushing him through the door, shoving Kei out of the way. "You don't need to catch cold."  
  
"Oh, yes great Mistress!" Draco said as he turned to bow deeply at Hermione in mock respect as he walked backwards into the home. "Anything you want, Oh Wonderful One!"  
  
It was then that Hermione saw that Draco did have a funny side. A strange one, but he had one nonetheless. So, to congratulate him on this newfound discovery, she bopped him on the head with a nearby umbrella.  
  
"Basement! Now!" she ordered.  
  
Five minutes later or so, Kei returned from his room in comfortable house clothes. It looked like he didn't mean to do the moves. He sat down on the couch and lounged there for a moment.  
  
"Well, Herm, are you going to get up there and help him?"  
  
"What? I already know the tricks," Hermione turned Kei's direction to give him a skeptical look.  
  
"So? You're the one that suggested this, weren't you?"  
  
Hermione blushed.  
  
"Right. Up you go. Over the bar!" Kei barked the order and watched as Hermione did a bar jump somewhat perfectly (that is, if you ignore the fact she almost landed headfirst into the machine Kei had in his basement).  
  
Draco followed suit, landing a bit more gracefully than Hermione did.  
  
"This may take some work." Kei felt the headache starting to form.  
  
`~`~`~`~ (I thought these two were a bit left out. ^^;)  
  
Harry Potter set down his pen as he looked over at a rather pouty Ron.  
  
Ron had been upset since his break with Hermione. Even though Harry knew Ron was a flamer, he would never leave his best friend in a time of need.  
  
Well, it wasn't really a 'time of need,' now was it? It was more of a time of Ron wants attention.  
  
Harry had been staying the summer at the Weasly's for the past two years, not wishing to go back to the inhumane treatment he received from the Dursleys'.  
  
Sighing, Harry turned in the chair he sat at (turning away from a Potions essay.) to look at the pitiful Ron.  
  
He'd allowed his hair to go unkempt for a while and it'd grown out some since 'The Breaking.' He reminded him much of a wildman.  
  
"Do I need to fix you a Pepper Up potion, Ron, or are you going to cheer up by yourself?" Harry said. He meant it. He would actually make this louse a Pepper Up potion if it would mean he'd cheer up.  
  
"Well, there is one thing that would cheer me up." Ron began, then shook his head, smirk fading from his lips.  
  
"RONALD WEASLY!" Harry stood up, knocking the chair over in the process. "There is no way in HELL I will have sexual relations with you!"  
  
"Come on, Harry!" Ron said, pouting more, giving Potter the Puppy Eyes look.  
  
"I'm leaving!" Harry made for the door, when Ron tugged on his shirt, he screamed helplessly for the one person that would beat Ron senseless without second thought. "GINNY!!!!"  
  
~`~`~`~`~  
  
A/N: YAY! ^-^ I'm proud of this one. Still a bit short, but hey. it's been a while since I last wrote. ^-^ Aaah.feels good to type again!  
  
o^_^o NYAO!, Damson of the Rhee 


	8. Poo!

Chapter 08  
  
A/N: I would like to apologize for everything lately. I've been sick in bed for a week or so and I've not found the time to type this up between schoolwork and helping out with the idiots I call friend's problems. I do hope you enjoy!  
  
Legal stuffs/disclaimer: I own Kai. Other than that, I own nothing.  
  
~~!!~~!!~`  
  
It had been a month now since Draco and Hermione had started dancing together. They took ballroom dancing lessons and Hermione took some modern dance lessons, trying to form the perfect freestyle routine.  
  
It'd come down to this, this final tournament before they both went back to school and back to being enemies. they had to come in first, they just knew they had to. Their friendship had evolved into something wonderful.something meaningful. They were closer than they were with the majority of their friends.  
  
Hermione felt safe in Draco's arms as they improved while playing. She never would have thought that she and he would ever think alike-but they do.  
  
Kai watched from behind, smiling knowingly at the one he considered his little sister and her partner dance. He knew from the start that they would end up together.  
  
Draco twirled his partner without thinking so she could reach back and hit the pad with her hand and flipped her. It still amazed him, as he sure it did Hermione, how much they could predict what the other was going to do. They received many complaints that what they do is not 'freestyling' because they supposedly practice routines. When those people find out it's all improv, they are amazed. It would hurt Draco when they had to go back to school and back to 'hating' each other, he knew it so.  
  
As the song ended, the two stepped off the pad to let the next in the line play and headed off towards the food court of the mall. As usual, Hermione got a milkshake and Draco had a tea. They sat at the same table in silence.  
  
"It will be scary, Mione," Draco said without looking up from his cup.  
  
"I know," she replied sadly with a small sigh and a glance at the platinum blonde.  
  
"I don't want to be your enemy."  
  
"Then don't be," Hermione said rather bluntly.  
  
"How will we announce this new alliance? 'Oh, by the way guys, Hermione and I are now freestyle partners! So, we're going to spend a lot of time together and be mates.'"  
  
"Never hurts to try." A shrug and small giggle escaped the brunette. Draco never noticed, but her hair had straightened out a bit and it hung to the small of her back.  
  
A stray pigeon that had gotten itself locked inside the mall came down to their table to munch off of crumbs left behind by previous mall goers that had sat at the table.  
  
The two watched it as it hopped around the table, ignoring them. The little white bird hopped onto Draco's hand and scuttled its way up to his shoulder. Beginning to nuzzle the back of Draco's ear, the bird became bored and flew away.  
  
Hermione began to giggle as she watched an oblivious Draco sip his tea.  
  
"What are you laughing at, Woman?" Draco said hotly.  
  
"Why, sir, I do believe that bird has left a token of it's gratitude on your finely pressed shirt," Hermione said, trying not to giggle more.  
  
"What do you mean, Mione?" Draco said, his nose scrunching up in that way it did when he was confused.  
  
"The bird crapped on you, dork," Hermione said, looking at Draco like he were stupid.  
  
"Gya!" he exclaimed as he attempted to wipe it off.  
  
"Come on, we'll go get your stuff and head back to my place. I'll wash your clothes. Besides, I think you and my dad are the same size," Hermione stated as she stood and threw away her empty cup.  
  
"Where's your house again?" Draco said, standing and wiping off bird poo at the same time.  
  
"Two blocks away or so. Give or take."  
  
"Good. I feel stupid walking around with pigeon poo on my shirt. I really liked this shirt, too," Draco pouted as they headed out the doors and onto the sidewalk.  
  
As they came closer to the house, Hermione rummaged around her purse for her keys and attempted to pull them out-not so gracefully as she had hoped.  
  
Of course, the Ever Lazy Draco just laughed as she knelt down and picked her things off the ground.  
  
"Why, Hermione, if I knew you cherished me that much." Draco didn't even bother to finish the sentence as he looked down at her hunched form.  
  
"Oh, shove it, Draco."  
  
"What are you going to do? Smack me upside the head? That is, if you could reach my head."  
  
"Why you!"  
  
Hermione began to chase Draco the rest of the way to the house. When she caught up with him, she found she couldn't stop herself and she ran into him, knocking him over in the process.  
  
Lying on top of Draco, Hermione flushed a light pink as she stood up and brushed herself off. Draco continued to lie there. She ignored him and went to unlock the door.  
  
"Get up, you lazy bum, door is unlocked." Hermione placed the key on the rack next to the door and held out her hand for Draco's shirt.  
  
When the shirt was not in her hands, she glanced back at him only to find she was getting a weird look.  
  
"Why are you holding your hand out?" Draco said dumbly.  
  
"Give me your shirt."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Draco removed his shirt and handed to her as she walked into the wash room and threw it in with a load that needed to be done as well.  
  
"Draco, it will be a while before your shirt is done, put this one on instead." She reached down and picked up a clean shirt out of the dryer and handed it to him.  
  
"Thanks," Draco said thankfully and put the rather tight shirt on.  
  
"Well. it looks like it fits," Hermione said while chewing on her lower lip.  
  
"Yeah, thanks, Herm," Draco said sarcastically as he flopped down on the couch and lay back, kicking off his shoes.  
  
Hermione sat on the edge of the couch and tuned on the television.  
  
Draco kept looking at Hermione's profile. How could they have ever been enemies in the first place? She was everything he had ever wanted in a girl, he realized. Smart, sarcastic short. Draco also came to realize a lot of things he liked in girls started with the letter 's,' but dismissed that stray and bizarre thought.  
  
Hermione could feel Draco's eyes staring at her. She wondered why and stole a small glance at him. She couldn't turn away. The two were on the couch, staring at each other. Neither noticed what the television was saying and they didn't care. They were locked in a small void of their own.  
  
"Hermione." Draco began.  
  
"I." Hermione tried to say.  
  
The two didn't need words to say what they meant to. They both wanted more than anything than to be with the other.  
  
Gently, Draco sat up and pulled Hermione closer to him. Their lips locked as she leaned forward slightly.  
  
The best feeling Hermione felt was in that one kiss. She poured her heart into it as she felt Draco doing the same. Everything: life, hopes, dreams, fears and joy were all in their single kiss. They stayed like that for what seemed to be eternity.  
  
Hermione was on top of Draco again by this point. He held her lightly in his arms at their kiss deepened. That's all they needed. A kiss. Nothing more, nothing less. Draco knew they didn't need anything more than their kiss to make the other realize their love for them. That's what this wonderful feeling inside of Draco was-love. 


	9. ChoooCHOOO

A/N DON'T KILL ME! I BE GOOD, I SWEAR!! I finally got over my sickeningly long writers block. I've been talking with the loving people from FF.net that I know and they've been oh-so-nice and put up with me while actually helping me get over this sickness (yes! It's a sickness! A viral sickness!.) Also, forgive everything after "Platform 9 3/4"--it was written while I was going through a bout of insomnia. ^^; No sleep weird stuff writing does it do.  
  
~_  
  
As the kiss ended, Hermione looked at Draco wide-eyed. "That was different."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What are we going to tell people now?"  
  
"Stuff people," Draco said with a smirk.  
  
"Oh, what a way with words you have, dearest," Hermione sat up and looked back at the TV. "So," she turned and smiled at the horizontal figure. "What do you want to watch?"  
  
~~!!~~!!!~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Hermione stepped through the brick wall between platforms Nine and 10, her mind not on what she was doing. The familliar smoke from the engine of the Hogwarts Express blinded her temporarily as she walked onto Platform 9 3/4.   
  
She was greeted by a familiar face--Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived and Continues To Live himself.  
  
"Hullo, Harry," Hermione greeted her good friend with a smile. With her teeth now straight, she smiled more than she did in her first few years at Hogwarts.  
  
"Hi!" Harry croaked, peeping over his shoulder. "Haven't seen Ron, have you? He's been acting quite strange as of late."  
  
Hermione mentally smacked her forehead repeatedly. Apparently, Ron's secret had not yet reached that of her paranoid and oblivious friend.  
  
"How has he been acting strange?" Hermione asked conversationally as she led Harry and her cart towards the loading deck for the train and then on towards the entrance.  
  
"He -nudged- me," Harry cringed. "Dudley did that too his mates. No, not the 'friend' term of 'mate'."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened to that of saucers, she was sure. "Well, I think I need a spot of tea, what do you say to that, Harry?"  
  
"Sounds good to me!" Harry said cheerily, glad for a change in topic.  
  
They settled into a cart. Ron hadn't shown yet--Hary was secretly glad of that tiny fact. Hermione conjured up some water and a transfigured a shoe into a teapot, adding some tea bags and heating the pot. Meanwhile, Harry had somehow come up with two cups.  
  
The two were sitting together happily and chatting away like no tomorrow when a silky Slytherin darkened their doorway.  
  
No, it wasn't Malfoy. It was Blaise Zambini. Standing at nearly six foot, the sixth year looked around the cart lazily. "Have you seen the Weasly boy?"  
  
Hermione's nose scrunched up. "Why, no. Why do you ask, Blaise?" Blaise was always one of her favourite Slytherins. He was always polite. Then again, she had met him when he was a she and it was a full moon. Hermione had been strolling along the lake and bumped into him-er-her. Ah, the power of transformation.  
  
"I wanted to have fun with my new toy." He seemed to pout ever so lightly, making his not-quite-feminine-but-close-enough features take on the look that would make so many females stop and drool for hours.  
  
Harry seemed to have stopped breathing once Blaise said 'toy'. He was turning quite the appealing shade of violet--or was that cobalt? Neither Hermione nor Blaise could tell. The latter shrugged and thanked the still-breathing passenger of the car a good day and set off to find his 'toy'.  
  
"Harry, sweetie, you can breath now," Hermione said almost gingerly. "He's gone. No one can scare you anymore."  
  
Nodding slowly and unsurely, Harry began to breath again, his eyes darting around as if in search of anythin homosexual that may touch/look/nudge/breathe near him or upon him.  
  
"We really need to work on that phobia of yours," she muttered under her breath, taking another calming sip of her tea, hoping to get Harry to follow suit. Of course, he did. 'After all, men are puppies; they need to be taught,' Hermione thought to herself.  
  
-Now- enter the lovely Draco Malfoy. Calmly, he entered their car (a/n: this is becoming a common occurance isn't it?), closed the door and sat across from Hermione and Harry.  
  
"Morning."  
  
Harry looked as if he wanted to jump into a Randomly Placed Hole. No, dear Harry, Draco is -not- gay---At least in this story. He probably would have jumped into said hole, had Hermione not nailed him in the shin with the heel of her shoe.  
  
"'lo, Draco," Hermione replied. '-Smiling- of all things!' Harry thought, shaking his mental head. "How have you been doing this past week?"  
  
"Bored out of my skull!" Draco dramatically pulled at his hair and flopped about mildy. "Yourself?"  
  
Harry finally found his voice. "Did you call him 'Draco'?"  
  
The two looked at him. In that way. That Harry -really- didn't care for. He stated so.  
  
"Harry, remember when I owled you about my new dancing partner?" He nodded deftly. Hermione continued. "Well, meet my wonderful dancing partner--Draco Malfoy." Harry's jaw dropped.  
  
"You're joshing?"   
  
"No."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"Uhm, Harry, we dance. We dance well--"  
  
"We didn't win our tournament, though," Draco added.  
  
"Stuff it."  
  
Harry shook his head wildly. "Woah. Too much for me to handle. First, Ron's gay; then Hermione's dancing with the enemy."  
  
"To say the least," Draco drawled.  
  
"You didn't kiss her did you?" Harry looked hopefully at Malfoy.  
  
"Well, most of the time, I was the one being kissed," Draco said with a small smirk playing on his face.  
  
"I -really- hate you," Harry groaned, accepting his fate--Yes, he was doomed to be surrouned by hormone-crazed, psychotically-unstable, off-the-rocker, not-run-of-the-mill loons. (a/n: Yes, I did repeat myself.)  
  
"Great," Harry muttered. "Just great." He then began to bang his head on the wall behind him--not hard enough, though. Right before he passed out from a concussion most likely, he heard Draco say sweetly (yes! Sweetly!): "Oh, 'Mione, is that tea? May I have a cup?" Well, by that point, Harry passed out from shock.  
  
_~  
  
Ending disclaimer/appologies/etc: Sorry. I just felt a bit goofy with my lack of sleep and all. Besides, we all need a bit of humor at times, correct! Stay tuned for the next update! Won't be for a few weeks, I'm going out of town. But, once I get back, I promise you all a new chapter! Maybe two!   
  
*haughty soap opera-type voice* Until next time on..... *dramatic pause* .... Dance Machine! 


	10. Sorting

A/N: I realize I have been moving ever-so quickly with this fic. My apologies. I will try to add more and slow the pace down some. A big thank you to all that have reviewed! I'm surprised I have gotten this far and not been flamed to death! ~hug~ Please enjoy this chapter, it is by far the best.  
  
Disclaimer and that jazz: I do not own nor am I using with permission the characters and scenarios created by Ms. Rowling. They are hers and I do not wish to own them. Seeing this is a piece done out of adoration of her work, I figure that there's no problem.  
  
When Harry woke, Draco was gone. Hermione was looking out the window, robes on and Prefect badge positioned. She looked thoughtful, so Harry put on his robes silently, making sure not to disturb her.  
  
Harry really wasn't the one with grudges against Malfoy. Actually, he had come to the conclusion that he was in fact human. Sure, he may be a prat, but human none-the-less. It was Ron who still despised Malfoy. When Harry had dropped the actual hatred of the boy a few years back, Ron had thrown a fit. So, to keep things normal, he flung insults and fists.  
  
The surprise of Hermione and Draco being dance partners was rating 10 on the Richter Scale. He couldn't remember how many times Malfoy had made her cry.  
  
'Why change for someone so mean to you?' he'd thought while changing. Now, Harry the Boy Wonder was sitting on the other side of the compartment, watching his friend carefully.  
  
"Thank you," She said softly.  
  
"No need," Harry replied. Hermione had no need to tell him why she thanked him-he already knew. He hadn't thrown punches when Draco entered and didn't try to kill him or accuse him of bewitching her when Harry found out they danced.  
  
'If only he knew the half of it,' Hermione thought, tears welling up in her eyes. She yawned to cover them up, only to receive a quizzical look from Harry. 'Draco,' she thought, turning farther to look out the window, 'how will we pull this off?'  
  
'.Our last trick,' Draco thought, looking blankly at the open book in his lap. Crabbe, the obviously slower of the two who followed him was asleep. Goyle, however, watched him in an almost hawk-like manner. Draco liked Goyle better than Vincent. He wasn't completely daft, and he stayed with Draco because he wanted to. Unlike Goyle, who only did so because his father told him so.  
  
Goyle also knew about he and Hermione.  
  
Draco felt a surge of closeness between he and his large companion who had stumbled in on The Boy Who Lived to be There's compartment, he and Hermione were in heated and animated conversation on the subject of their Muggle dancing game. Goyle didn't blink twice when Draco pecked her on the cheek before exiting. Instead, he merely chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Malfoy, mate, you and your little romanticism will be the end of you. Be lucky I was not Crabbe."  
  
"Stop looking at me like that, Greg," Draco said quietly, shutting his book. "Don't judge me."  
  
Goyle nodded and folded his clothes; they were close to Hogsmead.  
  
The train came to a slower pace and Ron left his and Blaise's compartment and walked with a lighter step to Harry and Hermione's cabin.  
  
Entering the small room was like entering a morgue to Ron. The silence was almost deafening. Then again, it could have just been because he was used to the noise that surrounded the area. By now, they would be just finishing a game of Exploding Snap and the giggling would echo through the narrow hall.  
  
Instead, he received a frightened look from Harry and a milder look of coldness from Hermione. Why were they like this? 'Oh, that's right,' he answered his own question in his head. 'I'm gay, remember?' Ron bit his lip. 'Why do things have to be different?'  
  
The others apparently weren't thinking the same.  
  
"Get out, Ron," Harry said shakily. "You frighten me."  
  
Ron felt on the verge of tears. Harry-the man he'd been lusting after for so long-wanted nothing to do with him, a very un-Harry-like thing of Harry to do.  
  
Hermione kept looking at him in that icy way. It sent chills down his spine just thinking about it. 'It's not my fault you dance with a prat, you wench,' Ron thought bitterly. He really didn't think her a wench. But, anyone who associated with Draco Malfoy....Take Pansy as an example.  
  
Nothing happened much after that. The staring continued as the train stopped and children from First to Seventh years passed by. Hermione shouldered by him, making her way out so she could calm the First years and instruct them what to do.  
  
That left Harry and Ron. Ron looked down shamefully as Harry grunted, picked up his bag full of books and left the compartment as well. Ron saw now: He was alone. 'At least I still have Blaise,' he thought, remembering his boyfriend. The soft touch reserved only for Ron. Blaise cared for him, which was all that mattered.  
  
Slowly, he turned and exited the train with the others of the Upper years and tried to find Blaise.  
  
A hand laid itself on Ron's shoulder and he spun around, only to fall into the arms of his lover. Blaise's sent overwhelmed Ron and he breathed in the aroma of spices and pumpkin and looked into the dark, mysterious deep blue eyes and greeted him with a smile.  
  
Ron followed Blaise to a horseless carriage. They sat in comfortable silence, hand in hand the way to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement of being back with friends from all over the countries of Ireland and Great Britain. Ginny was excited to be back, next to Harry.  
  
Over the summer, they had become close. She no longer dreamed of being the object of his desire. No, she just wanted to be his friend. She had come to realize that Harry wanted the same and that made her happy. They had tried to date over the summer, but that didn't work out too well.  
  
Ginny was also the one to keep Ron away from Harry. Since Ron came out of the closet, so to speak, he went wild trying to get Harry.  
  
Being Harry's best friend at the time, Ron should have realized how homophobic Harry was. 'Silly Ron,' Ginny mused as she looked at her brother at the other end of the table, talking with Neville. She was glad her brother kept friends. Then again, she wasn't so sure about Neville's sanity.  
  
A hush fell over the hall as the doors flew open and Professor Snape entered, a small figure cloaked in deep, midnight blue following him to the Head Table.  
  
Ginny was wondering frantically what was going on. Why would anyone with an ounce of dignity follow someone who must reek from not bathing? 'Well,' Ginny mused to herself, 'he could just not condition correctly. That causes strange things to happen to your hair.'  
  
Then, Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the Hall, followed by a trail of squirming First Years. The Sorting Hat in its patched glory sprung alive to sing its song.  
  
"Amuckband, Curtis," Minerva McGonagall said, holding up the parchment as she had done many dozen times before.  
  
The scared-to-death First Year walked up to the three-legged stool and sat down, the hat was plopped on his head.  
  
"Hufflepuff!" The Sorting Hat yelled. Cheers rose from the Hufflepuff table as Curtis took his seat.  
  
"Buckman, Alison," Professor McGonagall continued.  
  
Ginny couldn't help but stare at the new figure. She'd removed her hood to reveal smooth, porcelain skin and small but somewhat pointed ears, like the elves of fairy tales were described. Her soft green eyes locked with Ginny's blue ones. The figure smiled tightly, only to look at Snape and clap politely as the next student took their place at their House table.  
  
"Gryfindor!" the Hat yelled.  
  
Ginny had no choice but to stand and cheer wildly with her housemates. This was a time of welcoming, not a staring contest. 


End file.
